Let’s face it, makeup is EXPENSIVE – point, blank, and period! There are so many excellent products out, and it can cause a small dent in your budget. Women who rely on looking like the top makeup artists and celebrities will spend a crazy amount of money on products that will end up either sitting around and collecting dust or using products for only a short period and eventually forget about it. Always remember, makeup has a timespan before it expires. It is not recommended to use expired makeup, especially if you want to avoid any harm to your eyes, face, etc.

Okay, now to the point of this post. Yes, makeup is costly. However, if you are not trying to spend a crazy amount of money on products, you can explore some great discount stores and luck up on some great products.

I recently stopped at Marshall’s to look for some items for my apartment. During my shopping excursion, I decided to peek at the beauty section to see what products were available for purchase. Not to mention, they offer a great selection of makeup brushes for beginners, but I found some great items for a greater cost.

In comparison to The Original Beauty Blender retailed at $20.00. After reading reviews on this product, many are raving about these sponges and how it is. I take that as a win!

Total cost $35.96! Overall, I was pretty excited about my purchase. I was also thrilled knowing I found some nice items, and spent as much as I would normally spend on just one product. Needless to say, in some stores, you may have to rummage a little. However, the tradeoff is worth the search. If you are looking to experiment with different products, a new upcoming makeup artist, looking for inexpensive products for clients, or just don't want to spend the extra money on makeup, then I recommend going this route. Not all Marshall's and TJ Maxx stores may carry the exact same items, but it is worth a shot of checking it out. I can’t wait to try these products and see what they have to offer. So far, I have read nothing but great reviews from BH Cosmetics. I will post a review soon. Until then, I will chat with you again soon with tea in the Beauty Suite.

It's been a while since I've done any Get Jay's Look posts and it feels good to bring them back. Kicking off my 2018 makeup looks, it was only right to recreate Beyonce's makeup from her performance at Coachella.

Happy Valentine's Day! Typically for this holiday, you have the ones who are Pro-Valentine's Day and the people who are Anti-Valentine's Day spectators. Last year, I created an Anti-Valentine's Day look that ended up being quite successful with a dark gray smokey eye and a wine colored lip. This year, I wanted to create a look for the lovers and haters of the holiday of love.

Now I am not going to lie; I was a little nervous about creating this look. As a woman of color, I usually do not experiment with vibrant colors as much. I can also recall a few years back where I did not know how to use such colors, especially on my eyes. Fast-forward to 2016, I am no longer afraid, and I was pleased with the final look.

At last! We are in the fall season. Now don't get me wrong, I love the summer, but I also love the fall just as much. The dark hues, the layers, the scarves, leather jackets, boots, sweaters are my favorites. There's nothing like wearing darker, bolder colors and to add a kick of highlight just ties everything together. For this look, I was preparing to see Mary J. Blige in concert.

*Pops mouth* First of all, I would like to send congratulations to one of my favorite professional makeup artists in the world, Shayla, as we all know as MakeupShayla on her collaboration with Tarte Cosmetics. She teamed up with Tarte to create a contour palette that is easy to use, and most importantly, it is catered to women of color. From the moment I discovered the palette, I could not wait to get my hands on it.

For this look, I wanted to appear as I am dripping in gold. I created a soft smokey eye with gold tones, a bright highlighted face, and a gold color nude lip. This is soft yet dramatic look, and I receive

I think all of the looks that I create are fun, but for this look, in particular, I was nervous about it. My goal was to achieve a soft, yet dramatic look with a little bit of goth. Of course, I had to throw a little glam by using glitter on the inner corner of my eye.

For this look, I wanted to pay homage to one of my favorite musicians, Prince. Unfortunately, we lost him on April 21st, but his legacy will live on. As many expressed their love for him, I was overjoyed to witness how much of an impact he had over the world. I always loved his music, but I admired his artistry. He marched to the beat of his drum and did not give a damn on what people said or thought. He kept pushing on and breaking barriers and remained himself through it all. His drive has always been motivational to me, and now that he is gone, my takeaway is to keep pushing and aim for success in my artistry.